instead of these steps, I'd like to just click on 'scan' and select the wireless network to connect and click 'connect'

not sure I'm following exactly; you basically want a UI that'll let you do this? have you checked out wicd or wpa_gui ?

normally to allow a non-root user to be able to interact *directly* with wpa_supplicant, you have something like this in wpa_supplicant.conf

Code:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=wheel

but that's more for CLI access. If you want a UI so that things are point and click, my personal preference is wicd (built with USE="gtk"), but wpa_gui works as well. With wicd at least, no setup of /etc/conf.d/net is required, no setup of wpa_supplicant.conf required. Just start the daemon at 'default' runlevel, launch wicd-gtk whenever you feel like it (in some DE's you can set its tray icon to appear automatically), point, click,connect.

I'll re-read your post and see if I've missed something just in case, but yeah...part of it implies "how to set up wpa_supplicant", part of it is "I would like a UI"_________________Lost configuring your system?
dump lspci -n here | see Pappy's guide | Link Stash

To use wpa_gui, the gui supplied by wpa_supplicant, you need:
File: /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
# Here group is an entry of /etc/group
ctrl_interface_group=users
update_config=1

Since you're not using /etc/conf.d/net (it's blank), maybe try removing net.* scripts from the default runlevel, and add dhcpcd and wpa_supplicant instead?_________________“And even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.”– Hillary Clinton, Jan. 21, 2010

Since you're not using /etc/conf.d/net (it's blank), maybe try removing net.* scripts from the default runlevel, and add dhcpcd and wpa_supplicant instead?

I had tried, it seems everything, but doing just what Etal suggested here to care of it. I have some entries, in /etc/conf.d/net but these steps alone solved my problem. Which was I could start wpa_gui from root console, but not from desktop application, or from regular user console Thanks Etal and others contributing to this thread._________________Dell GX 270 Desktop, ATA 20gb HD,Pata host controller and uname -a = Linux frank 3.0.6 2011 i686 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.60GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux Netgear router Broadcom NIC